To ask for people's experiences of EMDR please

Another one to say it was life changing, but my psychologist did a LOT of work with me before we started, in order to make sure I was stable enough to cope and that I felt safe with her. It sounds like your therapist wasn’t a good fit in that regard- I wonder if a woman might suit you better? I think it can depend a bit on your trauma but mine was very mumsy which helped me I think.

It is brutal when you’re going through it though. My dissociation got a lot worse too. I think of it a bit like how you get a fever to kill an infection- your mind is fighting to heal the trauma but it feels awful while it does

You did exactly the right thing. I really would encourage you to find another EMDR therapist. It's a really effective therapy, but not if the basics aren't in place. You need to feel safe and that you can trust the therapist as a starting point. You can explain the dissociation to your next therapist.

I am so very sorry to hear about your son. The pain must be unimaginable and my heart really goes out to you. I am doing EMDR online only, and I am finding it really effective. I quite like being in my own space. I really hope you manage to find something that works for you xx

Yes. My therapist asked what my safe space would be, and I chose a beach, as I always find the sound of waves relaxing and quite liberating. When we are processing and I am following the dots on screen, the background is a beach, and there is also the sound of waves as the dots move, which I find quite soothing. I also have the link so that I can access that safe space in-between session if I want to - although I haven't done this. I am so sorry you are having such a tough time. Thinking of you x

I am considering EMDR due to PTSD following on from my son ending his life last Nov. Can anyone tell me if it is as effective via zoom/online vs in person,please? I have read conflicting things x

@JustForTheTasteOfItDC sorry that you had a bad experience, I agree that you have to be able to trust the therapist.

Please do try to find someone else though. It saved my life. I honestly don’t think that I would be here today if I hadn’t had it. The first 4-5 sessions I had someone waiting outside for me but I would say by the 3rd I was more ‘with it’. My nightmares got worse for a while but I think that I was processing things. I had a great relationship with my therapist. I trusted her.

@CharlotteLightandDark but when the OCD is a trauma response surely you work on the trauma before being able to work on the OCD?

Really really helped me after a major medical event which nearly killed me and I was diagnosed with PTSD. But I also disassociate, have done since I was a kid, although mine is essentially self induced. All I can say I that I can sympathise with how difficult and scary it must be for the therapy to induce that with you and I'm glad that you did the best thing for you by stopping the sessions; even though it's not talking therapy you must have a trusting and positive relationship with your therapist.

I hope you do try again with another therapist as it was really incredible - I went from someone who couldn't leave her bedroom and just stared at the walls, didn't sleep and cried at every opportunity, to a fully functioning human being again. Where are you in the country? If you're anywhere near Cambridge/NW Essex I can recommend someone.

I believe it’s only in the NICE guidelines for trauma/PTSD. I wouldn’t use it for OCD personally. It’s not a one size fits all approach.

@AliTheMinx

I'm really glad it helped you. Can I ask what you mean by this?

The image is always on the screen during processing

Was an image of a safe place on an actual screen?

The hardest thing I found about the few sessions I had (I had to stop because something massively triggering came up in my life outside of the sessions so it wasn't the right time to continue) was visualising a safe place. The first safe place we installed got annihilated the same night in a nightmare. So the therapist tried to create one for me but it didn't feel safe. I do another activity that requires thinking of a space place but I can't think of anywhere.

I'm an EMDR therapist. I know it's hard, but please try to talk to your therapist. They definitely want to know if you're dissociating, they want to help.

Life changing but it was an extremely intense process. After the first session I cried for about 2 hours andnhad to take the next day off I felt so vulnerable.
Be kind to yourself after the sessions. Give yourself space and safety to process in

I did it briefly as part of someone's training (very experienced practitioner but new to EMDR). I found it too hard to continue. I was functioning OK without it so decided to stop. It's definitely powerful. I hope you can talk to your therapist.

I'm currently undergoing EMDR now on the NHS. I was only referred in November, and I've already had 19 sessions. My therapist is amazing and I trust him implicitly. It has been life-chsnging.

I had no idea what EMDR was, but once my GP recognised that I have complex PTSD from a rape at 18, 2 miscarriages and then a very horrific childbirth that brought back all the rape feelings (being pinned down, lack of control, feeling dehumanised with people yelling at me), she thought EMDR would be a good option. I read up on it and it sounded a bit bonkers, but I thought I would try. I am so glad I did.

It has been incredible and has helped me to process so much. It's been emotionally draining - especially having to think what I would say to my unborn babies and also writing a letter to my rapist, but these exercises have been weirdly cathartic and really helped with the processing. I've unpacked so much and my therapist has really helped me to take the heat out of the emotions and to remove any blame/shame and understand why my body reacted as it did when I was terrified.

We spent the first few sessions talking about the issues - but with me disclosing only what I wanted to (he didn't pry too much), and then we began processing. It has been so draining. I work full-time and my sessions are online at lunchtime, and I feel exhausted afterwards, and usually have to have a big nap when I get home. I do often feel unsettled in the afternoon.

The processing can be a bit weird. Sometimes I wonder what I'm supposed to say when I finish following the dots, and my therapist will ask what I am feeling, and I have no idea if I'm saying the right thing, but he said there's no right or wrong answer, and it's all about where your mind takes you. I am constantly surprised by where my mind goes and the clear messages, memories and thoughts that come up - some that have been buried for years. I've also had some strange physical reactions - whole body tensing up, feeling almost unable to breathe at times, tight chest, pseudo-contractions and almost feeling pinned down again. He says this is all completely normal and is just my body dealing with the memories.

In between sessions, I also find myself thinking a lot about what has come up and I have become really interested in the psychology behind my thinking and have googled a lot seeking answers/validation.

We created a "safe space" in about session 3/4. The image is always on the screen during processing and I selected 4 trusted friends who are also "there". Occasionally, my therapist will say "What would X do/say?", and for particular moments which have been difficult to process, we've even tried to reframe them with a trusted friend "intervening". Sounds mad, but was strangely effective. We always end each session by returning to my safe space, and the dots move far more slowly, so it's quite calming, which is always needed after such intense sessions. OP - I think it's really important to.let your therapist know about the disassociation, so that things can be adjusted to ensure you are fully benefitting from your sessions. Wishing you so much luck and sending the biggest hug. EMDR has been difficult, but also empowering, and I am amazed at how far I have come. I hope you are able to have a similar outcome.

I had EMDR years ago for PTSD. It changed my life. But I remember finding it incredibly draining. My therapist had told me to get someone to drive me there as I might want to be driven home and I'm glad I did that.

We did the safe space stuff too. Maybe you could ask your therapist to outline EMDR a bit for you, sounds like he maybe didn't.

Good luck with it, I hope it works.

For those of you who have had positive experiences would you mind sharing details of the therapist with me please (PM me if that’s better). I’ve been trying to get some recommendations in London or surrounding areas but no luck so far. Due to PTSD I have trust issues so would feel a lot happier possibly having therapy with someone who has been recommended (sorry to muscle in on this post). Thanks

Yes! When I went through it, the therapist made me do a timeline of my life and I had to list the traumatic events that happened. Once you do that, it can help you piece things together that you didn’t realise were related if that makes sense. For example, I thought I developed panic attacks for no reason when I was 10, the timeline helped me realise what was the reason behind it.

You have to tell your therapist you're dissociating- he's unknowingly working outside your window of tolerance if you don't tell him.

(Also I think you should always feel comfortable with your therapist so if you don't there are lots of other EMDR practitioners out there)

I really would like EMDR but can they work on a few different traumas? I've got a lottttttt of shit that has happened... like I wouldn't even like to write it down because it would need a really big bit of paper.

I have a mixture of psychoanalysis and EMDR. We don't do the EMDR every session and we had several weeks of talking therapy before we started. He also sets me writing homework to send to him before the next session. It's already given me so much strength. It didn't feel like anything at the time, and then the next day I felt edgy. But after that. Fuck. Clarity. No more obsessive thoughts.

He's a fantastic therapist.

I had EMDR post my mums traumatic death and developing PTSD following trying talking therapy that just wasn’t working.

slow to get into it, but persevered. Uncovered deep deep pain I didn’t know was possible but for me session 10-12 I started to see major improvements in my life, I described it as ‘magic’. I ended up getting about 20 sessions and 3 years in considering getting some more sessions with some flash backs creeping back

please talk into your therapist and let them know how your feeling